Sunday, July 23, 2006

The Partridges We Are Not

Well, we finally did it. We bought the drum kit that Ernesto and I have wanted for some time now. I know what you're thinking, crazy parents, having a drum set around kids...oh the noise, noise, noise, noise ...(sorry, we've been reading 'The Grinch' a lot lately). See, if you knew the kind of noise we already make, you wouldn't be thinking that. Ernesto plays guitar. He has an acoustic and an electric. He also plays piano. I don't play an instrument, yet, but I've always wanted to have a drum set because I do have a pretty good sense of rhythm and the beauty of the drums for someone like me is no chords to learn, no sheet music to follow. It would still take a great deal of practice for me to get even pretty good, but I think it is managable. And I just love to hit those things. It is so much fun.

We can also be found singing, especially Ernesto. When I sing, Sofia often tells me to stop. David used to do that, mostly I think because it meant I wasn't paying attention to him. Or I'm tone deaf and just don't know it. But when they are both in the right mood we can have everybody playing or singing something. No matter which song we are working on at the moment, Sofia will most likely sing "Twinkle, Twinkle", or rather "Tinkle, Tinkle". She's really good, though. She hits all the notes and when she gets up to the piano bench she's like a young Tori Amos, writhing around with her red hair going every which way. Except with more joy and less angst.

And David has a gift for remembering lyrics, making up musical rhymes and strumming the guitar. It's very strange to pass by the playroom and hear him working on a puzzle, singing to himself: "Old man, look at my life...I'm a lot like you were..." So it looks like they've acquired the music bug. I hope it's as infectious as they say it is...

3 Comments:

Good on yas!! yeah drums! My dad was a drum player in a band, we grew up with the drum kit in the garage and we always drummed around. I too now have such a sense of rhythm it's just not funny, I'm only now becomming very proud of it, I used to think people will think I'm a tomboy 'cause only men use to play drums many years ago.

I use to play piano in school, lost and forgot it all and about 5 years ago bought a Casio Keyboard. Got some great pictures of baby crawling all over it and making lots of noise.

I say go drums! My dad was a drummer in a band too, from high school on. He was even doing local gigs a couple of years ago. (he's a rockin hippie professor) :)

We had a full drum set and he taught me everything, including the different types of cymbals and what they're for. Once my stepmother moved in, the drums sort of...disappeared. I can't imagine why...

My mom had me take piano lessons, which I did for 8 years. I'm actually not bad, but I hate sitting still to practice. So, Mom kept the piano, and thus I have inherited it. I think she did it on purpose. :)

Oh, I wish I could play piano...yes, it's the practice that kills me- I'm so blasted impatient. I have this ongoing fantasy that I will one day walk into a room at a big party and someone will ask if I can play something and I'll say, "oh, I don't really play much," but then I sit down and blow everyone away with something I just improvised. Like I said, big fantasy. And of course the drums are a challenge, but not in the same way. Already I've picked up some different beats and am able to coordinate working the pedal on the base while keeping beat with the snare and hi-hat. I can keep it up for a while but then I eventually lose it. My husband found some online drum lessons for me to follow, so I'll have to check those out.